So you want to be a Sport & Exercise Psychologist?

Dr. Joanne ThatcherAberystwyth University

Chair: Division of Sport & Exercise Psychology

Session Overview

• Routes to becoming a Chartered Sport & Exercise Psychologist

• Key roles and competencies involved in qualification• Qualification process• What do Sport & Exercise Psychologists do?• Why become Chartered?• What is Statutory Regulation?

Why?

• Identify your own reasons for considering a career as a Sport & Exercise Psychologist.

• Identify your own reasons for qualifying as a Chartered Sport & Exercise Psychologist.

Qualifying as S/E Psychologist: OverviewPsychology degree

with GBR

Stage 1BPS Accredited MSc in

Sport & Exercise Psychology

Stage 2Two years of supervisionby a Chartered Sport & Exercise Psychologist

Key Roles for Sport & Exercise Psychologists

• Key Role 1: Develop, implement and maintain personal and professional standards and ethical practice

• Key Role 2: Apply psychological and related methods, concepts, models, theories and knowledge derived from reproducible findings

• Key Role 3: research and develop new and existing psychological methods, concepts, models, theories and instruments in psychology

• Key Role 4: Communicate psychological knowledge, principles, methods, needs and policy requirements

Dimensions of Qualifications

• Knowledge Dimension– Stage 1

• Research Dimension– Stage 1– Stage 2

• Practice Dimension– Stage 2

Stage 1Accredited MSc Courses

Course Title Institution

Sport & Exercise Psychology Bangor University

Sport & Exercise Psychology University of Central Lancashire

Sport & Exercise Psychology University of Chichester

Sports Psychology Liverpool John Moore’s University

Sport and Performance Psychology London Metropolitan university

Psychology of Sport & Exercise Loughborough University

Sport & Exercise Psychology Northumbria University

Sport & Exercise Psychology Staffordshire University

Stage 1 MSc Core Components

Research Methods• Quantitative Methods• Qualitative Methods

Project planning• Research design• Ethical approval• Dissemination of project plans• Liaison with external agencies

Professional Skills/Counselling• BPS Code of conduct• Ethics• Counselling Skills• Reflective Practice• Communication skills• Awareness of cognate disciplines• Equal opportunities

Empirical Research Project

Stage 1MSc Additional Taught Components

Performance• motor skills• practice techniques• cognition, learning and perception

Social processes• interpersonal and communication skills• team cohesion• group identity• trust, cooperation and competition• leadership

Psychological Skills• arousal and anxiety• confidence• coping and techniques such as relaxation, goal setting, biofeedback, imagery, stress inoculation

Exercise and Physical Activity• determinants (e.g. motives, barriers & adherence)• outcomes in relation to mood, self-esteem, and cognition• problems of addiction and injury

Lifespan issues• Early-life• Mid-life• Later-life

Individual differences• personality• motivation• gender• special groups such as the elite and the disabled• talent identification

Process Involved in Enrolling for Training (Stage 2)

Provide evidenceof GBR and completion

of Stage 1 training

Engage a supervisor

Submit application to enrol

Obtain In Training Membership of DSEPand Conditional Registration

Stage 2 Training Components

Component Minimum hours

Minimum days

Indicative hours

Indicative days

Teaching & dissemination activities

80 (30C)

10 160(60C)

20

Sport/Exercise consultancy work

1200 (400C)

150 2000(650C)

250

Research project

1200 150 2000 250

CPD 160 20 200 25

3680 hours460 days

What Do You Do During Stage 2 Training?

• Key Role 1: Ethical competence

– Systems for professional standards

– CPD maintenance– Respond to

unpredictable contexts

• Key Role 2: Consultancy competence

– Assess requests– Plan, conduct, monitor

and evaluate consultancy

– Client relationships

What Do You Do During Stage 2 Training?

• Key Role 3: Research competence

– Systematic review– Design and conduct

research– Analyse data

• Key Role 4: Communication competence

– Provide advice – Communicate on processes

and applications– Prepare and present evidence – Provide feedback to clients

Stage 2 Assessment Processes• Portfolio of Competence

– Practice diary and reflective log– Supervision reports– Supporting evidence– Option 1

• Report of an empirical research investigation ORScientifically grounded case study (9 - 12,000 words)

– Option 2• Report of a systematic literature review (7,000 words)• Report of an empirical research study OR

Scientifically grounded case study (4, 000 words)• Oral assessment of Portfolio

Key roles 1, 2, 4

KR 3

Stage 2 Submission Process

0 months • Application for enrolment/Request for approval of supervisor• Plan of training• Application for AEC (where appropriate)• Fees

6 months • Two supervisory meeting records• 6 month supervisory report

12 months • Two supervisory meeting records• One annual supervisory report• Annual supervisee report comprising: competency checklist; practice diary/log; updated training plan• First case study (2,500 words)• Fees (annual maintenance)

18 months • Two supervisory meeting records• 18 month supervisory report• Second case study (2,500 words)

24 months • Two supervisory meeting records• One annual supervisory report• Final practice report comprising: final competency checklist, practice diary/log and updated training plan• Third and fourth case studies (2,500 words each)• Research submission and research supervisor’s report

What Will It Cost Me?

• Enrolment fee including the fee for approval of your supervisor

• Annual maintenance fee

• Assessment fee

£528.75

£470

£1069.28

£2068.03

What do Sport & Exercise Psychologists Do?

• Sport context– Amateur to elite– Athletes, coaches, officials

• Exercise context– Sedentary or regular exercisers– Cardiac rehabilitation & GP referral schemes

What do Sport & Exercise Psychologists Do?

The gymnast who froze…

…Lost Move Syndrome

Who was the client?

• 15 year old male gymnast

• 10 years of experience

• 10.5 hours training per week

• North of England age group

• National Championships in 6 weeks

Finding out the problem• Initial approach from coaches

• In-depth discussion with athlete

• Follow-up discussions with coaches

• Areas of concern– Vault– Floor– High bar………the problem

ATHLETE'S COMMENTS COACHES' COMMENTS

General confidence is a key aspect to focus on. Generally lacks confidence.

Hates the high bar. Believes he will hurt himself even though the environment is safe.

Can’t perform the backwards dismount on the high bar.

Avoids any remote chance of hurting himself.

Has hit the bar a few times when dismounting; since then, his dismounts have been poor.

He has natural ability and so gives up when hard work is needed to develop a skill.

Doesn’t like being disorientated during the dismount.

He worries about injury.

Would prefer to perform a forwards dismount; feels safe performing this dismount as he’s never hit the bar doing it before.

He doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to at home so gives up when hard work is needed.

When things go wrong, he questions himself, e.g., “What’s going wrong? Why can’t I do it?”

He doesn’t focus in at the right times.

Thinking about performing the dismount puts him off his routine.

So what did we aim to do?• Increase his general confidence

• Increase his confidence in his high bar competence and safety

• Increase his focus on the high bar

• Achieve consistent performance on the backwards dismount

How did we do it?

Increasing General Confidence

Identified personalcompetencies &

qualities

Recorded weeklyachievements

Increasing work output

Identified factors needed for success

Identified personal areas to work on

How did we do it?

Increasing focus on high bar

Identified concentration aspects of high bar

Developed a pre-performance routine

Increasing confidence in high bar competence and safety

Developed imagery routine

Competition preparation

• Dealing with

– Unfamiliar environment

– Hard landing surfaces

– Altered environmental cues

• Strategies– Imagery practice– Discussion of competition

• Goals• Preparation• General feelings

– Competition routine– Environmental familiarisation

Increased focus on target skill

Prevented athlete avoiding challenge

Target skill achieved

Did it work?

A Typical Week for a Sport & Exercise Psychologist

• 15-20 hour long sessions with individuals

• 1-2 meetings/phone calls with other professionals regarding clients (e.g., fitness instructor, team manager)

• 3 hours academic writing (e.g., currently text book chapter)/visiting lecturing

• Approx 4 hours work with organisations

• Once a week/fortnight attendance at match/training/motor racing testing/in gym

• 2 hours media work

• 1.5 hours supervision every 3 weeks to discuss cases/ethical and professional issues

• Ongoing CPD activities e.g. attendance at workshops, conferences, reading and attendance at applied sport and exercise group meetings

What is a Chartered Psychologist?

• Entered on the Register of Chartered Psychologists– GBR– Specialised training– Judged fit to practise– Abides by the BPS Code

of Conduct

“I love being a sport and exercise psychologist because of the diversity and the challenging nature of the work. You can find yourself giving a lecture, writing a book chapter, conducting research, speaking to the media or consulting with a sport or exercise participant. It is enjoyable, challenging and particularly when consulting can be a very rewarding experience.”

(Dr. Marc Jones, Staffordshire University)

Why Become a Chartered Sport & Exercise Psychologist?

• Chartered Psychologists agree to:

– maintain and develop their professional competence

– work within their competence

– obtain proper consent before intervening with or treating clients

– respect confidences– Conduct themselves to

prevent damage to clients and the profession

Standard of Competence

• BPS offers

– Competency and career development

– Professional network– Professional services and

products

What’s Statutory Regulation All About?

• The Health Professions Council (HPC) will shortly become the regulatory body for psychologists

• Calling yourself a Sport & Exercise Psychologist if you’re not on the HPC Register will be a criminal offence

• GBR is still required for entry onto PG training courses• HPC will automatically approve existing training

routes for entry onto the HPC Register (Stage 2)

References

• Qualification in Sport and Exercise Psychology (Stage 2): Candidate Handbook.

• Registration as a Chartered Psychologist document• http://www.bps.org.uk/careers/accredited-courses/accredited-

courses_home.cfm?action=results&level_of_study=PGRD&in_id=all&pg_cat=DSEPTC&submit=Search

• http://www.bps.org.uk/careers/what-do-psychologists-do/areas/sport.cfm

So you want to be a Sport & Exercise Psychologist?

Dr. Joanne ThatcherAberystwyth University

Chair: Division of Sport & Exercise Psychology